Scheme A: Research Grants for Doctoral Candidates and Young Academics and Scientists
  

Objective

Research grants provide young foreign academics and scientists (including Pakistanis) with an opportunity to carry out a research project or a course of continuing education and training at a German state (public) or state-recognised higher education institution or non-university research institute. Research grants can be used to carry out:

• research projects at a German higher education institution for the purpose of gaining a doctorate in the home country (this includes the doctoral programmes offered for developing and transformation countries under the "DAAD Sandwich Model" - see Information Leaflet, which is also available on the Internet www.daad.de/extrainfo);
• research projects at a German university for the purpose of gaining a doctorate in Germany; for projects of these kinds, we would particularly refer to the structured doctoral study programmes, such as Research Training Groups or Doctoral Research Groups, International Postgraduate Programmes, Graduate Schools, Max Planck Research Schools, etc. Please go to the following website for further information: www.daad.de/ipp;
• research projects or continuing education and training, but without aiming for a formal degree/qualification.

Value

• Depending on the award holder's academic level, the DAAD will pay a monthly award of 750 euros (graduates holding a first degree) or 1,000 euros (doctoral candidates). As a rule, the scholarship additionally includes certain payments towards health insurance cover in Germany. Furthermore, the DAAD generally will pay an appropriate flat-rate travel allowance, unless these costs are covered by the home country or by another funding source.
• Award holders completing a stay of more than six months receive a study and research allowance plus, where appropriate, a rent subsidy and family allowance. Funding for attendance of a language course is decided on a case-by-case basis (cf. Requirements).
• When award holders take doctoral programmes run under the "DAAD Sandwich Model", then the award may include the travel expenses of an academic supervisor - as long as this was already applied for in the first application.

Duration

• The length of the grant is set by the grant committee at the selection session. Depending on the project in question and on the applicant's work schedule, grants can be paid generally for between one and ten months, in the case of full doctoral programmes in Germany for up to three years, and in exceptions for up to a maximum of four years.
• Support can only be provided for the completion of a full doctoral programme in Germany when special support policy reasons exist. Such reasons include, for example, the lack of comparable research or academic supervision opportunities in the home country or when the doctoral topic requires several years of research in Germany.
• Support for full doctoral programmes in Germany is based on a programme length of three years; if foreign graduates first have to qualify for admission to a doctoral programme, then grants can be awarded for a period of four years. Even when support has been awarded for a full doctoral programme, that award will initially be limited to a maximum of one year. Extensions then depend on whether or not the evaluation finds the previous award period to have been successfully completed.

Requirements

• Applications for DAAD research grants are open to excellently-qualified university graduates who hold a Diplom or Master's degree at the time they commence the grant-supported research and, in exceptional cases, graduates holding a Bachelor's degree or already holding a doctorate/PhD (post-docs).
• It is required that doctoral candidates wishing to take a doctorate/PhD in their home country will already have been admitted to an appropriate course at their home university.
• The application papers must generally include written confirmation of academic supervision by a professor in Germany and expressly refer to the applicant's project, thereby confirming that the host institute will provide a workplace. If the applicant is planning to complete a doctorate at the German host university, the letter of confirmation must come from the academic supervisor (Doktorvater/Doktormutter) for the applicant's doctoral programme/thesis.
• Applicants who intend to gain their doctorate within the scope of a structured doctoral study programme are required to present a letter of admission from their study programme or at least proof that they are being considered for admission.
• Besides previous study achievements, the most important selection criterion is a convincing and well-planned research or continuing education and training project to be completed during the stay in Germany and which has been coordinated and agreed with an academic supervisor at the chosen German host institute.
• German language skills are generally required, although the required level also depends on the applicant's project and topic, as well as on the available opportunities for learning German in the applicant's home country. In the natural sciences and in engineering disciplines, in particular, and when English is spoken at the host institute, proof of good English language skills may also be accepted. The DAAD decides on a case-by-case basis whether the applicant can attend a German language course before beginning the research grant (free of charge for the award holder). This option is only available for research grants lasting more than six months. The country-specific information on the DAAD homepage will tell you which language skills are required from applicants from your home country.
• At the time of application, generally no more than six years should have passed since the graduate gained the last degree; in the case of doctoral students, no more than three years should have passed since starting the doctoral process; and in the case of postdocs, no more than four years should have passed since gaining the doctorate. Depending on the country of origin of applicants, for example, special conditions prevailing in the home country education system, etc., exceptions are possible. The country-specific information on the DAAD homepage will provide you with more detailed information.
• Applicants, who have been resident in Germany for longer than one year at the time of application, cannot be considered.
• Special note for medical students: The special leaflet "Additional information on DAAD-research-grants for applicants from medical fields" provides information on specific requirements (also available on the Internet www.daad.de/extrainfo).
   

Application Form and Deadline:

• Relevant Application Forms can be downloaded here.
• Two complete set of documents should be sent to the German Embassy in Pakistan before the deadline.
• The application deadline for these scholarships (Research Grants, Sandwich Programmes and Revisit Grants) is the 15th September 2008.
• Applications for these Scholarships should be sent directly to the German Embassy. All Applications received after the 15th September 2008 will not be entertained for the selection.

Contact Details and Further Information:

The Contact details of the Embassy are:
Press and Cultural Section
German Embassy
Diplomatic Enclave
Ramna 5, Islamabad
P.O.Box 1027, Islamabad
Weblink: Click here

More information on scholarships and the application forms are available on the website of the DAAD: www.daad.de
or
at the Cultural Section of the German Embassy via e-Mail:
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Scheme B: Postgraduate Degree Courses with Relevance to Developing Countries

Objective

"Postgraduate degree courses with relevance to developing countries" aim to qualify experts and executives from developing countries in fields such as trade, business and administration. These postgraduate degree courses offer career-based and practice-oriented initial and continuing training. Their content focuses on key development policy questions and they stand out by delivering practice-relevant know-how.
Detailed information and a list of the courses and programmes can be found in the collection of "International Degree Programmes" available on the DAAD homepage http://www.daad.de/deutschland/studium/idp/04709.en.html

Duration

• Those degree courses which end with a Master's degree generally last between 12 and 24 months. The three degree courses leading to a doctorate generally last 36 months.
• In most cases, studies begin in October, while the preparatory German language courses start in April or August. Differing arrangements are specified in the description of the individual degree courses and programmes.

Value

A monthly scholarship instalment is paid. Its level is based on the scholarship holder's level of qualification (as a rule € 715 or € 975).

Requirements

• Application is open to experts and executives from developing countries who hold a university degree and have gained at least two years of career experience in a position in industry, business or administration which is relevant to the respective chosen postgraduate degree course.
• Age limit: 36 at the time of application (some postgraduate degree courses set an age limit of 32)
• Language skills: Where postgraduate degree courses are instructed in English, applicants are required to have passed a TOEFL Test (minimum of 550 points) or an IELTS Test (Band 6). Where courses are taught in German, students will ideally have Grundstufe 3 (Beginners' Level 3) language skills. Participants in English-instructed postgraduate degree courses have an opportunity to attend a two-month intensive language course before their full studies commence. Scholarship holders taking German-instructed degree courses have an opportunity to attend a six-month intensive language course before their full studies begin. Important exception: The degree course in "International Marketing" offered at the FH Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences requires students to have excellent German language skills (DSH, TestDaF). No preparatory language course is offered.
• The specific admissions requirements for individual degree courses can be found in the course descriptions which the German diplomatic missions and the DAAD regional offices abroad have available for consultation. 
  

Application Form and Deadline:

• Relevant Application Forms can be downloaded from http://www.daad.de/deutschland/download/03118.en.html
• Two complete set of documents should be sent to the German Embassy in Pakistan before the deadline.
• The application deadline for these scholarships (Scholarships for a Postgraduate Course with Relevance) is the 31st August 2008.
• Please note that applications for these Scholarships can be sent directly to the German Embassy or can be sent either DAAD or the Universities

Contact Details and Further Information:

The Contact details of the Embassy are:
Press and Cultural Section
German Embassy
Diplomatic Enclave
Ramna 5, Islamabad
P.O.Box 1027, Islamabad
Weblink: Click here